India, neighbours plan move to check terrorism

NEW DELHI: India and its immediate neighbours barring Pakistan have decided to draw a broad framework with legal sanctity to tackle terrorism and transnational crime in the subcontinent.

The move, under the aegis of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical & Economic Cooperation), is being seen as significant that can go a long way in enhancing cooperation to strike at terrorist as well as mafia networks and close the tap on their funding.

New Delhi has already gained some success in gaining assistance of individual countries like Myanmar and Bhutan to flush out camps belonging to extremist networks in the North East.

Coordinated operations along the borders in Bhutan last year and recently in Myanmar have resulted in the dismantling of the camps. According to sources, the agenda of the first meeting of Bimstec's Joint Working Group was to formalise and make durable such arrangements of cooperation in dealing with terrorists and transnational crime.

The discussions delved into how member states could work together to enhance information and intelligence-sharing regarding terrorism and transnational crime.

A statement by the foreign office said the meeting looked into aspects of how member states can effectively deny sanctuary and transit facilities against individuals, groups and entities involved or associated with terrorist activities and transnational crime.

Another important aspect that was explored was prevention and suppression of illicit trade and trafficking in arms, ammunitions, explosives, and other dangerous materials of terrorist use by land, sea or air as well as prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.